Manny’s Celebrates One Year Anniversary on Election Night

Community Space and Café for Fostering Community Dialogue To Focus on “Defeating Donald Trump”

4 November 2019 – San Francisco, CA: One year since the mid-term elections and one year until the 2020 President Election, Manny’s (3092 16th Street at Valencia, San Francisco – www.welcometomannys.com) celebrates its first birthday tomorrow, Tuesday, November 5, by asking for one thing only.

“Defeat Donald Trump,” sums up Manny Yekutiel, 30, who founded and runs the eponymous community engagement space and café. “That’s what I want for our birthday, and that’s what we’ll be doing every day, every hour, between now and Election Night 2020.”

Since opening its doors on Election Night 2018, Manny’s has become an epicenter of community involvement, dialogue and civic engagement having served over 50,000 people, staged over 400 events, donated space to more than 150 area nonprofits and charities and become “the New Hampshire of California” (KCBS Radio) by hosting 17 presidential candidates. Also, besides receiving copious media and public attention, Manny’s was recognized for his above-and-beyond achievements by the California State Senate as “Small Business of the Year.”

“Instead of celebrating our accomplishments we are utilizing our one-year anniversary to start the charge to Defeat Donald Trump in true Manny’s fashion,” Yekutiel said, noting that 11 of the remaining Presidential candidates will be sending representatives to sign folks up and donate over the ensuing few months. Additionally, Manny’s will provide voter registration in English and Spanish, a mock “Voting Booth”, live music, Trump Pinatas and more.

“In addition, the 1st Annual Manny’s Doer Award will be given to a local unsung hero,” said Yekutiel who promised a “special surprise” at 9pm tomorrow. “We’re excited for this inaugural honor to go to Melba Maldonado from La Raza Community Resource Center.”

“Creating a central place for folks to go to become better informed and more involved citizens, has been the core of our mission since the beginning,” said Yekutiel. “My father came to North America with 23 dollars in his pocket and little English, originally from Afghanistan. He pumped gas, sold coffee on the street of Sudbury in below freezing temperatures, and worked the assembly line at a refrigerator plant, eventually saving up enough to open up a restaurant with his brother. My mother’s family, immigrants from Poland and Russia, owned a small grocery store in Brooklyn. Small business is in my blood. I was raised in a small business household and I’m proud of the hard work that both of my parents set as an example.”

“By the Numbers” About Manny’s 1st Year

55,257 cups of coffee and tea sold

30,000 people attended and engaged in our civic programming

$20,000 raised for local non-profits

5,400 free cups of coffee and tea given out to those who can’t afford it

785 people participated in Manny’s ‘pay if forward’ program to fund the above

450 civic events and gatherings hosted in the space

300 individual sponsors who support the space’s programming monthly

115 number of local organizations and non-profit given free or low cost space

20 Members of Congress have visited Manny’s

17 Presidential candidates have visited Manny’s

16 formerly homeless or incarcerated individuals now have full time job via Manny’s non-profit training kitchen

16 hours of continuous reading of the Mueller report at Manny’s

6 debate watch parties hosted in the space

1 year in operation

Manny’s is a people powered, community focused meeting and learning place in the heart of San Francisco that combines a restaurant, political bookshop, and civic events space. Manny’s goal: to create a central and affordable place to become a better informed and more involved citizen. Manny’s offers its events space to nonprofits, activists and civic organizations to spread their message and do their work as well as hosting its own civic and arts related programming. Manny’s kitchen is run by the non-profit, Farming Hope, which hires formerly homeless and formerly incarcerated individuals and trains them in the food skills needed to work in the restaurant industry.